Astrophotography

"“The universe seems neither benign nor hostile, merely indifferent.” - Carl Sagan

I have a deep passion for astrophotography. In my spare time, when conditions align—clear skies (a rarity in Japan) and a newer moon phase—I pack my gear and head to areas with minimal light pollution (Bortle class 4 or lower). There, I marvel at the breathtaking, star-filled night sky and capture its stunning beauty. I use an old Canon crop-sensor DSLR paired with a 55-250mm kit zoom lens, a sturdy tripod, a star tracker (to counteract Earth's rotation and prevent star trailing during long exposures), an intervalometer for automated captures, and a dew heater band to prevent lens fogging.

Here are some popular deep-sky objects and wide-angle targets that I have captured:

M31, the Andromeda Galaxy, along with its satellite galaxy M110, lies a staggering 2.5 million light-years away. Visible to the naked eye, it’s our closest large galactic neighbor, and the photons reaching us today began their journey when dinosaurs roamed the Earth.

M42 - The Orion Nebula

M45 - The Pleiades open star cluster, a.k.a. the seven sisters. The bright blue light being reflected from the dust surrounding these hot glowing stars .

The Cygnus region with spectacular H-alpha emissions, giving off the distinctive red color. Cadwell 20 - The North American Nebula can be seen on the top-left

A glimpse into the Milky Way core. The two bright red regions are the emission nebulae: IC4703 - Eagle Nebula (top) and the M17 - Omega Nebula (bottom)

Jupiter and its Galilean moons—a mesmerizing sight that revolutionized astronomy, thanks to Galileo Galilei’s groundbreaking observations.

P.S. Don't mind the sub-par photo (250mm focal length, i.e., lack of proper zoom),

A composite image of different phases of the Moon.

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